Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-08-26


Washington Cor n Y SUM
The havoc made in the Atantas fixtures
by the inadequacy Of her gun carriages TO
hold and control her pivot guns calls atten-
ton to the fact that while the latter are
very powerful for an unarmored cruiser Of
her size, they would make small show
compared with the heaviest ordnance now
carried in war-ships.
The progress Of thirty years in construct
ing heavy guns has been extraordinary.
Tha largest pieces found on war vessels in
1860 threw ball weighing 6S pounds with
an initial velocity Of 1870 feet per second,
and an energy Of 100 foot tons Now in
itial velocities in high-power guns haye
been increased to 2lOO feet projectiles at
the maximum weigh as much as 23OO
pounds, and in some cases are propelled by
charges Of nearly half ton of powder,
while the 1l0-ton guns of the Bembow
reach an energy of about 60, 900 foot tons.
Passing over the triumphs obtained by
intermediate calibres, which were remark
able in their day, we find that the largest
French steel guns, such AS are used for the
armament of the Terrible, completed at
Brest, the Requin, built at Bordeaux, the
lndomitable, built at LOrient, and the Cal
man, finished at Toulon, weigh each about
| 1G tons. They deliver IA projectile weigh
| ing l1l6 pounds, with muzzle velocity
| of 1879 feet per second and muzZle ener-
/ " Of 30, 600 fON tons The guns are rihed
/ breech leaders. The French have other
/ powerful guns, those constructed on the
| Range system being well known.
The Armstrong guns now mounted for
service in the Italian arInor- clads Duilio,
/ Dandolo, Italia and Lepanto weigh 100 tons
each and throw II projectilc Of 2OOO pounds.
/ These have long been familiar, but the later
/ breech loading guns are improvements over
/ the early muZzlc leaders. The most pow
erful Of them take a powder charge Of
about 112 pounds, and have an initial We
| locity of 1885 feet per second, and a muz-
zle energy of 81 900 foot tons. Guns Of
lOj tons have also been made at Elswick
for the Francesca Lauria, the Andrea Do
ma and the Morosini In these the weight
Of the charge is 900 pounds. the weight Of
the projectile 2OOO pounds, the muzzle We
locity 2Ol9 feet per second and the muzzle
energy %, J41 foot tons. These will un-
doubtedly prove most formidable weapons.
The largest krupp gun weighs nearly ll0
tons. 1t is over 40 feet long, has IA calibre
of l5f inches, and fires a shot weighing
23l4 pounds, with a muzzle velocity Of 1900
feet The maximum elevation gives it IA
range of nearly u miles. Its power of
penetration into wrought-iron is estimated
at about & inches at the muzzle 81 inches
at the distance of 100 yards, and 30 inches
at 5000 yards. At the distance of three
miles its striking average is still about 2s,
600 foot tons The Italians have two of
these guns mounted in a shore battery, for
which purpose they are intended.
r. l /.
Elswick, is about A feet long, and its actu-
al weight 247, 70j pounds. The screw
block, removed in loading, weighs p tons.
The projectile is a bolt weighing lSOO
pounds, and l6t inches in diameter. With
$50 pounds Of powder the actual muzzle
velocity attained was 207S feet, and the
muzzle energy "a 900 foot tons: so that with
$50 pounds, which the gun is constructed
to use, an energy on the proiectile Of 62,
700 foot tons is expected. The recoil OF
the gun is very small The British alsc
have powerful new gun in their 63-tor
steel breech- loader, which will be carried
ON the Rodney. 1t is expected 20 throw d
13l inch shot, of 1850 pounds, with pow
der charge of $50 pounds, and to attain
2l00 feet muzzle velocity Should thes,
expectations be realized this gun, though
much lighter, will be more destructive thar
the Sj-ton gun of the Inhexible, which
takes projectile of 1900 pounds, with a
cartridge Of 450 pounds, reaching muzzl,
velocity Of 1900 feet.
1t is said that the next step attempted in
heavy gun construction will be that of
15Oton monster, this project being attrib
uted to the Essen works. 1t would throw
a shell six feet long, weighing a ton and /
half There are also some guns under con
struction which are expected to accomplish
great results on somewhat new theories, a
in the case of the one manufactured fol
Col Hope. This is to take an enormous
powder charge and TO have corresponding
ly great penetrative effect. But withou
3 going into the possible successes of the fu
ture, those which have already beer
achieved are sufficiently astonishing